James Monroe
" Light 'em up? Yeah, let's just hope we survive this amazing plan. Somebody should beat the hell outta the guy that came up with it." -Jake Monroe, Operation Medussa James "Jake" Monroe, known as "J-Mo" to his fellow aviators, became an American hero following the events of Operation Medusa and the Battle of Valhalla. Early Life Born in Kingsville, Texas, November 25, 2374, the oldest of 4 children. Born to Jack and Meg Monroe, while Jack was attending advanced aviation training, Jake grew up in the United States Space Navy living at whatever Aerospace Station his father was assigned to. James was an above average, but not outstanding student throughouth high School, but his passion was sports, lettering in football and baseball. In 2392 James enrolled in NROTC at his father's alma mater, Texas A&M. Jake's academic career was average, graduating in 2396, but he exceled as a midshipman, attending a summer cadet flying program in 2395. Upon graduation Jake was commissioned an Ensign in the USSN. Military Career Upon commissioning Jake attended primary flight training at Pensacola, Florida. Marrying his wife Emma the day after he earned his wings. From Pensacola Jake was sent to NAS Kingsville, TX for advanced fighter training. Once advanced training was complete Jake was reassigned to the FT-17 RAG , Replacement Air Group , Lovell Station. Upon completion of the RAG , in 2399 Monroe was assigned to VFA-86 at Lovell Station. Quickly afterwards he did his first war cruise abaord the Lexington, but saw almost no combat, only seeing an enemy fighter twice, but participating in many missions harrassing enemy supply lines and cargo shipping making him an excellent strike pilot and training him in the real world skills needed to survive as a fighter pilot. The first fighter sighting was an Imperial reconniscance fighter that had stumbled upon the Lexington and was destroyed by his section leader. Even Monroe has admitted that he had "buck fever" during the first engagement, but it prepared him for a second engagement later in that first sea tour that would set him as a rising star in the FT-17 community. During the second engaement his divison of 4 FT-17s were jumped by four MiG-233s and armed freighters. The American fighters were to attack Russian shipping after the escorting frigates and destroyers had been drawn away by a feinting force, unfortunatly the MiGs had been left behind as a final line of defense. When the trap was sprung the division leader was immidatly killed by a missile from one of the MiGs, Monroe's section leader was heavily damanged by fire from one of the freighters. Monroe and the Lt. Dusty Frost immieditaly and agressivley drove for the MiGs each launching a volley of missiles at the incoming MiGs, and each scoring a kill, while the crippled FT-17 escaped. The agressive manuver of the two junior pilots caused the MiG's commander to think wiser of pursuit and returned to the convoy. Monroe's second combat cruise in 2400 was cut short when the Lexington was ambushed and heavily damaged by a Reformed Russian Space Action Group led by the cruiser Kirov. While Monroe and Lexington sat out the dark days of 2400 and 2401, Monroe attended the USSN's elte fighter weapons school, known as TOP GUN, before retunring ti the Lexington for Operation Medussa. 'Operation Medusa' "Dude, we're aces." ''- Pete "Rooster" Driscoll, after scoring a fourth kill as part of Operation Medussa'' In the summer of 2401 the United States was looking for a decisive engagement to put the US back on the attack and bring the CEGD to the negotiation table. With the breaking of an Imperial Naval code, Admiral Mitchum felt that a large CEGD Naval force could be lured into a trap that would destroy several of the CEGD's front line units. Mitchum's problem was how to ensure he didn't pull more into his trap than his forces could handle. The nearby planet of Xun was a major aerospace base and would surley provide reinforcements when the CEGD fleet came under attack. While the Lexington was in dry dock several pilots had been volunteered to participate in a planning cell at Lovell, while there Monroe proposed operation Medusa. At the time Monroe never thought Medusa would be used in combat and only saw it as a means of completing the exercise. In late October of 2401 Lexington queitly sailed from Lovell, secretly meeting with the massive fleet that would strike Xun and then engage Imperial forces at Valhalla, Monroe was aboard. After being informed of the mission and being Identified as the creator, Monroe placed a bet in the shipwide pool that the operation would fail. Upon launch from Lexington Monore formed up with his squadron, as one of only to FT-17 squadrons participating in the battle over Xun. Monroe confided in his WSO, Danny "Rooster" Driscoll, that in a massive battle like this he wasn't sure of their odds, any skill wouldn't come into play until after the initial missile volley from each side, and even once they closed with the enemy there would be so many planes in such a small area that survival would depend on luck and quick shots. Upon hearing the emagement code word, Monroe pushed his throttle forward and flew beneath the long range American missiles, hoping they would be enough of a distraction to allow him to close to his own missile's range and engage the enemy. Monroe's first kill came when he triggered a missile that streaked out from below his wing and connected with an Imperial fighter. The second and third kill came moments later as he plunged into the quickly forming furball of fighters, Lt. Driscoll signaled that he was ready for a long range shot, but Monroe still had his medium range missile selected when he fired, having seen this Driscoll's quick thinking allowed him to choose a target on the far side of the enemy formation. Monroe had thought he would miss and immidiatly chose a short range missile to follow up, when the first missile struck its target, the second began looking for a new target and fortunatly chose an Imperial fighter as opposed to an Allied one. Within the first minutes of the fight, Monroe had already scored three kills. Monroe and Driscoll zipped through the furball taking snap shots at any CEGD fighter until they shot out the other side, as Monroe brought his Shrike back around to make another run through the gauntlet of fighters he saw a Corsair streak out of the furball with a J-216 on it's tail, Monroe lined up the shot and scored his fourth kill of the day. The fifth kill cam from a snap shot at a fighter that happened across the nose of Monroe's Shrike. As the Imperial force began to pull back and retreat Monroe and Driscoll took a shot at a straggling fighter, damaging it with the first missile, but finishing it with their final short range missile. At this point Monroe and Driscoll had realized that they were effectivly in "no man's land" as what was left of the CEGD forces attempted a return to Xun and the American forces began to reform for the return to the carriers and the mopping up operations. As Monroe positioned their Shrike to return to the Lexington he felt the Shrike shudder, they had been hit, an Imperial J-216, the Chinese ace, Wang Wei, was angling in on them,Monroe brought his Shrike about trying to damage the fighter enough to escape, but to no avail. the two fighters twisted and flipped through space each trying to gain the upper hand on the other. Monroe called for his wingman, but to no avail, they had been seperated in the first pass through the furball, Monroe wasn't even sure he still had a wingman. Finally Wang made his mistake, monroe chopped his throttle as Wang cut across his nose, a snapshot from monroe sliced across the J-216's cockpit ending the duel. Monroe and Driscoll limped their Shrike home to Lexington as the newest aces of the USSN. Battle of Valhalla Monroe participated in Lexington's strike missions upon Xun, before joining the fleet forming for the Battle of Valhalla. During the Vlahalla Battle Monroe's squadron was assigned to the strike roll and he participated in the destruction of the Golden Dragon, and achieved two more fighter kills before the battle was complete, making him a double ace. Post War After the war Monroe returned to Earth as an instructor at the Space Naval Fighter Weapons school and lecturing at the Space Naval Strike Warfare school.